For immediate release
July 18, 2012

Toronto, ON—Members of the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance of Ontario/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (UKPC/FCYA-ON) mourn the loss of two youth of colour—Joshua Yasay, 23 years old, and Shyanne Charles, 14 years old—who sadly passed away Monday in a Scarborough shooting incident. Yasay and Charles were only two amongst the attendees of a Danzig Street gathering of at least one hundred, 24 of whom suffered injuries when shooting broke out. We feel deeply the loss of these two youth who each had promising futures ahead.  We offer our deep condolences to the families and friends of Joshua and Shyanne.

Despite the claims of Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford that the unfortunate incident was simply an “isolated case,” members of the UKPC—while mindful of the need for the safety of all wherever they live—call into question the endemic presence of violence in racialised and economically marginalised communities. Yasay’s and Charles’ deaths may well have been avoidable yet become part of the increasing trend of gun violence. The deaths of countless Filipino Canadian youth within the past years—namely Christian Derro, Jeoffrey Reodica, Charles Dalde, and Mao Jomar Lanot—speak directly to the systemic violence youth of colour face in Canada.

We assert that the right to true security in society has been denied to many in Canada whose lives are permeated by systemic racism and violence, greatly diminishing the capacity of countless youth. The lack of genuine social services programs geared for the youth and the increasing cutbacks on existing ones, points to the government’s overall neglect on the future generations of our society.

We demand that amidst neglectful processes which historically and continually leave cases unresolved, genuine justice be found and the truth given. The loss of our fellow youth calls us into action before another one of us fall victim. Their loss will continue to inspire us to be steadfast in collectively creating genuine solutions for addressing and eradicating the root causes of violence against youth in our communities by educating, organizing and mobilizing our community to address the systemic barriers we face.

-30-

For more information, contact:
Signe Clemente
(416) 519-2553
ukpc-on@magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org
Facebook and Twitter: Ugnayan Ontario